Car coupler



April 15, 1924. y 1,490,443

` D. J. WILLIAMS CAR C OUPLER Filed May 4, 192s abro/:Majo

Patented gpr. 15, 1924.

DAVID J'. WILLIAMS, O'F HEREIN, ILLINOIS.

CAB. COUPLER.

Application filed May 4,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, DAVID J. WiLLrAMs, a citizen of the United States, Vresiding at Herrin, in the county of Williamson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Couplers;

and I do declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplers and more particularly to those which are intended primarily for use on mine cars and other small cars which must be repeatedly coupled and uncoupled, without loss of time.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensivecoupler which will automatically couple two cars together when they are moved into suciently close relation with each other, the construction being such that the cars may be easily uncoupled also.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a artial plan view.

Figure 2 is a ongitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the association of parts when two cars are movedl into engagement with each other.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the cars coupled together.

Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4:.

Figure 6 is a detail longitudinal sectional view showing the manner in which the coupler may be positioned to prevent its operation.

In the drawing above briey described, the numeral 1 designates a horizontally elongated support adapted to be secured by bolts or the like 2, to one end of a mine or other car, in such position that it will extend beyond this end between the usual bumpers which have been indicated at 3. The projecting end of the supporting member 1 is provided with a longitudinal slot 4 and an upright arm 5 is received at its upper portion in this slot and is pivotally hung on a bolt or the like 6. The lower 1923, serieu No. 636,636.

end of the arm 5 is provided with a hook 7 whose bill 8 is disposed toward the car and this hook is pivotally hung from the arm asindicated at 9 for movement on an axis parallel with the pivotal axis of said arm, the two vaxes being disposed transversely of the car.

At 10, I have illustrated another support to be secured by bolts or the like 11 to another car and to extend therefrom between the bumpers 12. Pivotally hung from the projecting end of this supporting member, by means of a bolt 13 or other desired means, is a vertically elongated yoke 14 through which the arm 5 and the hook 7 are adapted to pass when the two cars are brought together as shown in Fig. 3, whereby slight movement of said cars away from each other will withdraw the arm from the yoke and will leave the hook 7 engaged with the latter as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Y

Above their pivots, the arm 5 and the yoke 14 are provided with co-acting means adapted to strike each other and eect swinging of the arm and yoke toward each other when the cars are brought together. In the present showing, the upper end of the arm 5 is provided with a horizontally extending projection 15 having a vertically elongated, concave, end surface 16 and the upper end of the yoke 14 is provided with a pair of arms 17 curving outwardly and connected by a horizontally disposed bar 18. This bar co-acts with the edge 16 and as the former is elongated horizontally and the latter elongated vertically, inaccuracies in the cars will not interfere with proper operation of the coupler. When the two cars come together, the bar 18 strikes the surface 16 and thus a thrust is created which will swing the arm 5 and the yoke 14e toward each other as disclosed in Fig. 3 thus moving the arm and its hook 7 through the yoke, so that when the two cars are again moved with respect to each other, the arm will withdraw from the yoke, leaving the hook engaged with the latter as disclosed in Figs. 4: and 5.

If it is not intended that the coupler shall operate, the arm 5 may be swung over to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 6 and will not therefore he affected by movement of one car against another.

As excellent results may be obtained from the details disclosed, these details may be followed if desired, but Within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made.

I claim:

1. A oar coupler comprising a pivotally hung arm, a hook pivotally hung on the lower end of said arm for movement on an axis parallel to the axis of said arm, means for mounting said arm on a, oar With the bill of its hook opening toward the oar, a. pivotally hung yoke through Which said arm rfind. its hook are adapted to swing, means for mounting said yoke on another Car, and coaeting means on said arm and yoke above the pivots thereof, for simultaneously swinging said arm and yoke toward each other when said ooacting means engage.

A structure as specified in claim l; said oo-aoting means comprising a vertically and ai horizontally elongated thrust surface, one'surface being on the arm, the other surface being on the yoke.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto alixed my signature.

DAVID J. vWILLIAMS. 

